Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

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sub007
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:01 pm

Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by sub007 »

My daughter will be sitting the 11+ this year. I would like to know, Are there any changes in the exam? I would like to know so please feel free to answer my question.

Also does anyone know any tutors near Washwood Heath or anywhere in that area please let me know!

:D
KenR
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Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by KenR »

simple answer is we don't know - see sticky at the top of B/Ham section

Univ of Durham CEM do not publish details of exam content question types in advance - in fact they deliberately find ways the vary the exam as much as possible
john_smith
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:17 pm

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by john_smith »

Generally, if you need to ask questions like this, or have a tutor, or do lots of practise, you shouldn't be applying for grammar school as once you get there, the work will hit you like a tonne of bricks.
sub007
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:01 pm

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by sub007 »

Thankyou kenr
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by um »

Sorry John Smith but I disagree...the situation in Birmingham is quite desperate for a great many parents, as their local comprehensive schools are challenged for many reasons and are not hugely appealing.

Parents go to great lengths and expense to ensure their child is thoroughly tutored and prepared for these exams - to have a place in a school where they will be happy, fit in, and achieve.

Because of this, if you had a bright child, who would benefit from a Grammar school, and was in an ordinary state Primary having done no practice, additional work or had any tuition at all, you can pretty much bet they would NOT get in. The chances of that happening are tiny and the child would have to be a genius.Their place would go to the ones who did do the work and/or had tuition, mock tests, etc.

Yes, it isn't ideal, it would be great if no-one had any tuition, went to identically good Primaries, had the same amount of books at home, and the field was even, but it is the game everyone is playing here.
You either play it or you don't and I don't blame the questioner for asking the question. We don't have past papers or much info and can only go on past childrens' accounts. But many parents and most tutors in Birmingham and nearby, have access to these accounts. Why shouldn't the poster too?

PS My son had tuition, worked hard on practice and is absolutely loving his time at Camp Hill! All his friends either went to expensive Independent schools, who prepped them, or had tuition.
Nothing, thankfully, has hit him like a ton of bricks (except his younger brother, perhaps :) )and he enjoys the challenge and academic atmosphere.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by mike1880 »

I second that. John Smith seems to be under the impression that there are so many GS places in B'ham that there are enough not only for all the bright but unprepped kids, all the prep school kids and all the prepped state school kids but also a chunk of over-prepared but intellectually incapable kids. Apart from showing a lack of knowledge of the nature of the 11+ test in B'ham, he shows a basic lack of knowledge of the secondary school system here as well . Only 7% of secondary school places in B'ham are at grammar schools. It would be a dazzling achievement indeed if a child of such modest intelligence could be prepped to perform among the top 7% in B'ham. I'd sign my kids up for that course straight away :lol: :lol: .

Mike
Footballdad
Posts: 112
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:20 pm

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by Footballdad »

Cheers UM and Mike1880

I thought i was the only one disagreed with John Smith post. We are fortunate in Birmingham that we have the option of grammar schools for our siblings. My understanding is these schools were orignially set up to help academically gifted children to get a better quality of education.

But now sad to say its for the parents who can afford to get them tutored to pass the test, or those parents who have the ability to home tutor. If a parent is savvy enough to work the system to there advantage. Gone are the days of the old where every child was in an evening standing.

But from personal experience i believe the most important aspect of this is the child needs to be academically gifted and motivated , you do not want your child to struggle once the support mechanism of tuition is taken away from them. The child has got to fit the school and vice versa. My eldest DS started Camp Hill this year and thank god she is not struggling. My middle DS who sat the exam this year will not make it, daddy here is a realist. You give your children the same tools the same opitions but they need to have desire and ability to obtain a place.

Back to the original post Sub007 i applaud you in taking an active interest in your DS's education and i wish more parents are like you out there.

Sorry for the long Post

Footballdad
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by mike1880 »

Good point - to answer the original post, there were no changes to the content of the exam but there was a change to the way it was arranged: this year all the verbal elements (synonyms/antonyms, comprehension, cloze) were in the first paper and all the rest (numeric and non-verbal) were in the second. In previous years each paper had a little of everything.

Mike
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by um »

That is interesting, mike1880.
The majority of children I know, and particularly boys, are better at the numerical side of things.
So to give them the literacy areas first is an interesting tactic.
For children who are not strong at literacy, or who are not confident and steadfast, this could be enough to wind them up/scare them and thus damage their score in the second half of the paper too.
But then I agree that literacy is ultimately the most important topic for children to focus on in general. Communication skills are what will get you anywhere in life these days.
john_smith
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:17 pm

Re: Are there any changes to the exam papers this year?

Post by john_smith »

I suppose going to Yardley Primary School, sitting a few Letts practise papers, now getting a Headmaster's achievement award at Camp Hill means I have no experience of the Birmingham education system. And 'um' that was a quality joke on your last line :lol:
I have found the kids struggling are the ones who received loads of tuition before the test, now they have got their place they have stopped tuition and are struggling.
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